WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Batman, in theaters now.
The Batman director Matt Reeves confirmed actor Barry Keoghan's "Unnamed Arkham Prisoner" is, in fact, a proto-Joker, but there's a catch: He may not return in the sequel.
While Keoghan was initially thought to be playing Gotham City Police Department officer Stanley Merkel, in November, his brother seemingly confirmed his role as Joker. Those rumors proved accurate, as at the end of The Batman, Keoghan appeared at Arkham State Hospital and talked to Edward Nashton/Riddler (Paul Dano.) Their exchange heavily implied that Keoghan's character, who was only billed as "Unnamed Arkham Prisoner," was The Joker.
In an interview with IGN, Reeves described Keoghan's character in The Batman as a "pre-Joker Joker" and explained that the film was essentially an origin story for the Dark Knight's rogues gallery. He even considered removing Keoghan's scene as the proto-Joker, with some test screenings not including it at all. In the end, Reeves opted to keep the scene in because he found "it finishes the Riddler's arc," while also setting up trouble for the future.
However, Reeves stopped short of confirming Joker for the sequel. "I don't know that the Joker would be in the next movie," Reeves explained, "but I can tell you that here's what you're seeing, is an early days version of this character, and trouble, as always, is brewing in Gotham."
Taking place in the second year of the Dark Knight's crime-fighting career, The Batman sees Bruce Wayne looking into a serial killer named The Riddler. Along the way, he's forced to contend with such classic Dark Knight villains as Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin (Colin Farrell) and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). Early reviews for the movie have been positive, and at the time of writing, The Batman holds an 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes among critics. Thursday previews were also strong and, while The Batman didn't set any records, the film pulled in $21.6 million.
At the time of writing, Warner Bros. has not officially greenlit any sequels to The Batman. However, star Robert Pattinson and Reeves have both said they'd like one to happen. Currently, there are plans for streaming series on HBO Max centered on the Gotham City Police Department and Penguin, which will continue to build the universe of The Batman. Reeves has said there are other potential spin-offs in the works depending on the success of the film.
The Batman is in theaters now.
Source: IGN